While the present invention was designed for use in connection with a data communication network of the type that communicates between the seat electronic units (SEUs) that service the passenger seats of a commercial aircraft and a central receiver transmitter unit (CRTU), as will be readily appreciated from the following description, the invention has wider applicability. It is useful in other data communication networks comprising a plurality of remote units and a central unit. One example of such a network is a personal computer network that couples a plurality of low-capability personal computers to a high-capability personal computer that functions as a file server and controller of data flow between the low-capability personal computers.
When ordering commercial aircraft, airline companies often specify a number of design options to the manufacturer, including passenger seating layouts. The manufacturing and inventory costs associated with providing different seating arrangements and spacing between seats can be significant. The costs will become more important to the next generation of aircraft, which will offer new personal entertainment and service facilities to each passenger. Designers of such facilities are planning to install an entertainment system and passenger service system in the back of each aircraft seat for use by the passenger in the following seat. Communication between a central receiver/transmitter and the passenger seats will be via a common data bus. Communication between the central receiver/transmitter unit and the seat electronic units servicing the passenger seats will require a message frame having data word segments at least equal in number to the number of seat electronic units. In addition, each seat electronic unit will have to be assigned a specific data word segment. While such an assignment could be easily accomplished using prior art techniques if passenger seats and their associated seat electronic units remain fixed during the life of the aircraft, fixed seats inhibit the ability to rearrange classes of seating (by sliding seats to change seating pitch) in order to optimize the payload return on a flight (even within 30 minutes of departure). The ability to rearrange classes of seating on a short-term basis is a profitable feature that is desired by most airlines. As a result, there exists a need for a more sophisticated method and apparatus for automatically assigning addresses to each of the seat electronic units of an aircraft that are compatible with the ability to rearrange seating on a short-term basis. The present invention is directed to meeting this need.